Matt Mercury Electra Cruiser

franz bolo · Sep 20, 2013

Posted this on the RI forum also. My friend is making a feature film based on his comic book and short film character Matt Mercury. Originally, it was supposed to be a fun adventure film loosely based on Science Fiction films of the 50’s. Matt Mercury originally had a rocket like those space rangers did in the old days. Once he got into the production, he realized a lot of other people were doing rocket-ship type movies, so they decided to inject some creative juice into their effort. That and the fact that his wife shamed him by reminding him that he always tell her how creative he is, yet he couldn't come up with an original ship design for Matt Mercury. The film is more in the style of 60’s Sci-Fi television anyway, so the 50’s stuff just didn't fit.

I asked Bill to write up something as he sends me pics.

Ok, well this was the fastest and easiest way I could think to get it done. I’m a cartoonist and film guy and not that much of a model builder. The shapes are rough and I tend to eye-ball everything at first. Just wanted a shape to get fiberglass on it. I plan on doing all the leveling out and clean up in the fiberglass bondo stage. I will probably re-design it a little s I go along. As I see how shooting angles look on the actual part I could get a better idea of the finer points of the design.

The main deal with this is it’s all done as fast as I can. I’m directing the film, designing the sets and pretty much everything as well as doing the editing and the modeling is really the most fun, but I never get as much time as I’d like to do it.

-Bill

Here are some concept sketches of the ship.

Here is the start.

jedimaster · Sep 21, 2013

I like the design.... Good size model by the looks of it too.

IEDBOUNTYHUNTER · Sep 21, 2013

Im glad you posted this. I saw it on RI.

Have to ask. Where did he get the foam. And how much for that block?

Al

3d-builder · Sep 21, 2013

Wow this should be cool like the design also.....it's going to
be a monster thanks for sharing!

franz bolo · Sep 23, 2013

IEDBOUNTYHUNTER, he got a 36" block of foam at Houston Foam and Plastics. Not sure of the price but I can check. I think a piece of foam 1'x3'x8' is about $316.

Ok, for these – again, you can see how rough I left everything. I planned on getting the detail in the bondo so I didn't care about anything but general shapes in the foam stage. My neighbors kept wondering what I was doing, so I told them I was making a surfboard for my pug-dog. I figured that’d make more sense to them then telling them I was building a Phantom Class Cruiser space-ship.

-Bill

IEDBOUNTYHUNTER · Sep 23, 2013

Not a bad price.

looking good, thats model making. keep it coming.

Al

franz bolo · Sep 24, 2013

The fiberglass was nasty. I used the shapeable mat and asked some guys on youtube if I needed a mask to use it... they said no. I didn't trust them and they were wrong. They didn't use masks and their lungs are gonna PAY for it someday!!!

Coated fiberglass with fiberglass reinforced bondo. That stuff sets up like stone!

Oh one other neat thing, this foam shapes real well by just using scrap as sanding tools. They end up making nice soft curved complex curves!

-Bill

Fiberglass Stage

Bondo Stage

Lots and lots of sanding!!

franz bolo · Sep 25, 2013

The fiberglass form was hollowed out pretty easily just by scraping out the foam. Then I started to build a wood frame and add on pre-cut acrylic structures for the base of the sodium mixers (engine outriggers). I’m not an electrician, but with the help of Tenacontrols navigation boards and some strip LEDs I was able to make a lighting scheme just as I had imagined it.

-Bill

dsp5500 · Sep 25, 2013

WOW, Now thats coming along nicely :thumbsup

franz bolo · Sep 26, 2013

Thanks!

Here are 2 posters Bill drew for the Matt Mercury movie.

He also illustrated the Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Droids book and The Essential Chronology book and was a penciller on the Star Wars: Droids comic book by Dark Horse.

DeathFromADesk · Sep 26, 2013

That's easily 16 types of awesome.

franz bolo · Sep 27, 2013

Thanks!

The outriggers are designed to look like they don’t exactly match the rest of the ship. In the story, they are an untested technology that was added to the ship as an emergency measure. The ship originally had sleek turbine engines. Oddly enough, what I had in mind as inspiration is the mobile space station from the old Gold Key Space Family Robinson comics. I always loved how that thing could land on the twin uprights and The Electra does that as well.

-Bill

Here are more pics of the lighting and a few greeblies added to the ship.

The actor who plays Matt Mercury.

DaddyfromNaboo · Sep 29, 2013

Hey, did I probably see a pic of that ship in one of Steve Neills videos?

franz bolo · Sep 30, 2013

I believe you did.

DaddyfromNaboo said:
Hey, did I probably see a pic of that ship in one of Steve Neills videos?

- - - Updated - - -

Here are the final pics.

We talked a lot about how we were going to paint the Electra and settled on something that paid homage to the old Star Trek series. We had planned on painting the ship with a variety of chrome blues and Champagne colors, but really loved the 60’s battleship colors. The rest of the film is so color saturated we liked the contrast! The detail is a cross between the old and the new. We do have more detail on the Electra because we’re shooting HD for final film.

-Bill

-

DaddyfromNaboo · Sep 30, 2013

Fantastic project! I would have loved to see the ship in more flashy colours, though, a bit Flash Gordon (pun intended) like, since the main character´s costume kind of resembles the 1930ies Buster Crabbe style IMO. But man, I love love love that project already!!!

Michael

The Wolf · Sep 30, 2013

Wow! The ship looks fantastic. But I don't see how you'll fit the inside.

Honestly, the model looks great.

Wolf

franz bolo · Oct 3, 2013

Bill says thanks! He's got a few more ships from the movie but hasn't taken any good pics yet.

franz bolo · Oct 30, 2013

Cool shout out from Steve Neill!

3d-builder · Oct 31, 2013

WOW that came out beautiful!!!

- - - Updated - - -

franz bolo said:
Thanks!

Here are 2 posters Bill drew for the Matt Mercury movie.

He also illustrated the Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Droids book and The Essential Chronology book and was a penciller on the Star Wars: Droids comic book by Dark Horse.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z60/j6studios/MattMercury/poster_zps49e6238b.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z60/j6studios/MattMercury/poster2_zps2f38298e.jpg

What is the characters name standing in front of Matt Mercury.....she has
nice hips! LOL

franz bolo · Oct 31, 2013

3d-builder said:
What is the characters name standing in front of Matt Mercury.....she has
nice hips! LOL

That would be Mulkress Dunner, as played by Chantal Nicole.

Matt Mercury Electra Cruiser

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